


Hit and Ms.

by Bumpkin



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Other, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 08:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11893596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumpkin/pseuds/Bumpkin
Summary: Jim's search for an international assassin brings him more than he bargained for.





	Hit and Ms.

**Author's Note:**

> for Kata Avalon.)

Okay, this was a 'Give and Take' Fic offering for a Sentinel group here on LJ. And I just realized that I forgot to post it on my own journal till now... (why yes, as a matter of fact I am a tad absentminded) ~*headdesk*~

Description: Jim's search for an international assassin brings him more than he bargained for. (Prompt: Naomi is a killer for hire, Jim is investigating her (Gen/slash/don’t care: slash)Other notes: none/for Kata Avalon.)

Disclaimer: Not mine…

  
Title: Hit and Ms.  
By Marns AKA Bumpkin  
Rated: PG-13  
Slash  
(Wordcount: 5,615)

-Captain Simon Banks' Office, Major Crimes Dept. of the CPD  
Cascade, Washington-

"Simon, I'm telling you, there was no accident - this woman is our killer!" Jim said insistently as he tapped one of the photos on his captain's desk. "She's been in the area every single time when-"

"Jim, please," Simon glowered and cut off his subordinate. "Just give me a minute here."

Jim quieted as Simon tried to get some perspective back. It was bad enough that the mayor had used his not so inconsiderable influence to get Major Crimes to investigate the death of the CEO of Cyclops Oil, his old drinking and golf buddy (read campaign contributor). Especially since the man had met his end in Peru, where of course the local law enforcement had already investigated things and ruled the death as accidental. But going beyond the distaste of being forced to retread over the work their fellow officers had done, Simon could only feel that what Jim was suggesting now was more un-palatable to think of. To think that the young woman – or the young mother, as in half the pictures there was a bright eyed curly haired urchin beside her – was some kind of contract killer for hire?

"Jim, listen, I know you think you have her dead to rights – that you checked her out via Interpol and Customs and everything - but c'mon, look at the woman." Now it was the captain's turn to point at the pictures scattered on his desk. "She's a hippy dippy flake who's never left the sixties! How can you think she's our killer – and why? For God's sake man, you're making it sound like you think she's some kind of cold blooded 'merc' who hires her services out to the highest bidder."

"Yes sir, that is exactly what I'm saying and what I think." Jim said, meeting his Captain's eye with his own.

Simon gaped at his detective. "You what? Are you serious?"

"Yes." Jim nodded and stated grimly, "I think the woman is exactly what you said – a killer for hire, and an extremely successful mercenary as well. As you said, look at her – who would suspect her?"

Simon looked at the woman in the pictures now in a new light, considering as he did what his top detective had said.

"You're right, no-one would suspect her - why would they? It makes her perfect for the job doesn't it?"

Jim just nodded again and Simon sighed.

"Damn. Well, I suppose there's no help for it then. Much as I hate to do this - I give you full permission to investigate Naomi Sandburg in conjunction to the crimes committed. Make sure you check in with me often, I want to be there for every stage and know everything you find." Simon paused for a beat and then continued significantly, " And Detective, you realize when I say *everything* that it includes anything *extra* you might perceive that can't be mentioned in any reports."

Jim looked steadily at his friend and captain at the last words, but then he just said, "Yes, sir" and left.

-x-

-Blair Sandburg's Office, Rainier University  
Cascade, Washington-

"Listen to me, Mom, you're pushing things," Blair said with some aggravation into the phone. His voice echoed oddly over the secured line. "Those last few jobs were too close together, and done too quickly. You're going to draw someone's attention - if you haven't already - and not the good kind if you know what I mean."

~"Blair, it's not as bad as all that. You're exaggerating things a bit, don't you think?"~

"Maybe I am, but if so it's only out of my concerns for your safety. Seriously, Mom, you're sure to have pinged on someone's radar with the way you've been so reckless lately. Why can't you just take a break from work for a bit and consequently give your nervous son –that would be me - some peace of mind?"

His mother gaily laughed at his concerns as she said dismissively, ~"Oh, Sweetie, you worry too much. Nobody can connect me to anything. Relax, everything's fine."~

"Argh!" Blair, normally a very easygoing guy, felt his teeth wanting to clench in frustration or angry annoyance, he didn't know which he felt more. The way she was reacting to what he was saying, his worries, just cemented something he'd been thinking for a while now – she'd been 'in' too long. Playing the game for so long that she'd started to think she was indestructible, that nothing and no-one could touch her. It wasn't true of course. She was just as vulnerable as the next person. It had only been through careful selection and due diligence that she had been safe until now.

Naomi Sandburg had been smart about the profession she had fallen into; she had never taken a job unless she knew everything about the situation – both sides of it - and then once she took the job she would be very attentive, down to even the smallest of details. It had been her claim to fame; the reason behind her excellence – not that it was widely known about, not even in their small group of peers. It was also why she had never been caught – ever. Or connected to any of her assignments.

Until now.

Lately, she'd been getting careless. Well, it was either careless or arrogant – or more likely both - Blair just wasn't sure at the moment and frankly it didn't matter. Truthfully both worked for him, because 'both' spelled out the same consequences – his mother getting caught and sent to prison. For a very, very long time.

Not something he wanted to happen. Ever. And not because orange wasn't a good color for her.

Blair sighed. He knew she wasn't going to listen to him at the moment and he wasn't going to be able to talk to her about it over the phone. Even a secured line wasn't safe enough for that, so he decided to try another tack.

"Mom? Y'know it's been a while since we spent any quality time together, so how about you don't take on anything new for a while and come and visit me in Cascade? You and Jack can spend some time catching up too; he's at the University here now – teaching impressionable young minds about politics if you can believe it."

Naomi trilled an incredulous laugh on the other end of the line. ~"Jack Kelso is *teaching* politics? Oh my, that *is* just too strange for words. Not something I saw coming anyway."~

"Yeah, tell me about it. You could have knocked me over with a feather when we crossed paths in the faculty lounge."

~"I'll bet."~ Naomi said with a wicked little chuckle. ~"Oh and Sweetie, about that visit idea? It sounds lovely. I'll be there as soon as I wrap up things here, alright?"~

"Sounds good, Mom, see you when you get here."

Blair waited until he was sure his mother had disconnected to hang up the phone. He felt like a weight had been lifted from him. His mother was coming to visit and although it didn't mean she would listen to him, at least he was going to be able to tell her his concerns face to face, and in such a way that she would be rather hard pressed to ignore them. The thought gave him hope, and really, what more could he ask for?

'To not get shot,' came the immediate mental answer, 'by his mother or Jack for that matter.' It wasn't like the two of them were the most balanced people on the planet after all. Which was immediately followed by him thinking, 'Right, perhaps I should go and warn Jack that my mom is going to be visiting… seeing as Jack is still licensed to carry and all.'

Blair jumped up and hurried out to do just that.

-x-

After leaving Simon's office, Jim decided that he hadn't visited an old friend in way too long and that he should really remedy the situation. He set course for the University and his old Covert Ops contact 'Joker', now more formally known as Professor Jack Kelso of Rainier University's Political Sciences Division.

Jack Kelso used to work for the CIA, as well as a few of the less savory alphabet soup agencies, which is where Jim and he had met initially. The two of them had hit it off back then and stayed friends and in contact even after Jim had left to go back to civilian life due to 'circumstances' outside of his control (how the high-level Brass had quaintly labeled the complete SNAFU of what happened to Jim's team in Peru and his resulting resignation of his commission). Then Jack had left himself due to medical issues of his own (what his superiors tagged his forced retirement when they discarded him like yesterday's news after he was paralyzed form the waist down while implementing *his* duty), and his relocation to Rainier to teach had been a nice way for the two men to reconnect face to face. Jim pulled into a parking space and then grinned as he thought back to their reunion. That particular weekend had been a lot of fun; the two of them hadn't had hangovers like that to nurse for years.

Getting out of the truck Jim thought about how Jack's moving to Cascade had inadvertently been kind of a bonus for him. Because of who he had been, and who he knew, Jack was able to help Jim with a lot of his cases for the PD. So Jim hadn't just regained one of his better friends, he'd gained a valuable ally for the CPD - something that amused Jack a great deal. He was fond of saying "Once an agent, always an agent." Jim couldn't dispute it. Jim knew his old buddy Jack - even retired from the game and without the use of his legs - had still forgotten more than some of the newer agents ever learned at all. Now as he walked down the hall, Jim still hoped Jack's connections were as good as ever, as he had a feeling he was going to need the help. The woman was that good.

Arriving at his friend's office door, Jim knocked. A muffled, "Come in," bid him entry. Jim entered and saw to his amusement Jack bent almost in half trying to reach something in the closet that he must have dropped on the floor.

"Is this your way of telling me you aren't ready to come out of the closet yet?" Jim asked lightly.

Jack jackknifed back up into an upright position. "What?"

Then seeing who it was that had spoken, he scowled and shot the other man a disgusted look. "Good God, Jim, one of these days we're going to have to do some research and figure out which mission you lost your sense of humor on and then mount a rescue for it. That was awful."

"Hey!" Jim half-heartedly protested the slur his friend made on his sense of humor. "It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, Jim, it was. Don't kid yourself into thinking it wasn't. Anyway, your abysmal attempts at being funny aside, what brings you out to visit me in the middle of the day? Did you need something for a case?"

"What, I can't get the urge to visit a friend? I have to have an ulterior motive?" Jim asked trying his best to sound affronted and injured, then added for good measure. "I'm hurt that you think that I think so little of our friendship."

It didn't work and Jack smirked at him. "Jim, please, who are you talking to?"

Jim just laughed and said, "I suppose I am the worst enabler for your particular vice aren't I?"

"Mhmm."

"But honestly, you wouldn't want me to be any other way would you, Jack?"

"Nah, enable away," Jack said and rolled to sit in behind his desk where Jim knew he was in easy reach of most of his information sources. He gestured for Jim to take one of the chairs he had set up in front of the desk for his students.

Jim nodded his thanks and sat down, slouching back in the chair at first as he gathered his thoughts on what exactly he wanted to ask the other man. He didn't exactly think it would be prudent to come right out and ask for some reason, he had this hunch that wasn't the way to go this time. A little more in the way of finesse was needed. But before Jim even got a chance to get too far into anything, there was a light knock on Jack's door and a younger man stuck his head around the doorframe. Jim idly wondered who he was and why he seemed so oddly familiar until the kid spoke, and then his melodic voice took Jim's thoughts to other places entirely, along with his brain.

"Jack? You here, man?"

"Blair! Hey, good to see you, kid. Come in, I'd like you to meet another friend of mine. Jim, this is Blair, he's the youngest full professor on staff here at Rainier. Blair, Jim here is an 'old' friend of mine –one who got out before me but not really under any better circumstances, and is now a detective for the CPD."

Jim and Blair exchanged polite smiles.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Jack rolled his eyes and said with exasperation, "Jeez, don't kill yourselves getting to know each other, guys. Give each other a chance to talk already."

Jim chuckled appreciatively of the dry humor and was gratified to see the younger man do the same. Then Jack thankfully prompted his second surprise guest for what he was doing there before Jim was forced to drop any hints. Ones he really wouldn't have wanted to drop as Blair was fascinating to Jim and he would like to spend as much time as he could with him. But this was the time for business and not pleasure and what Jim wanted couldn't come into play at the moment.

"Was there something important you needed to talk to me about, Blair? I mean it's not like I don’t enjoy seeing you whenever we can grab a minute but I did have a guest already…"

"Oh, no, it was nothing *important* - I just wanted to let you know that my mother was coming for a visit soon. Didn't want you to be surprised, I know how you don't like that."

"Your mother?" Jack asked as his body shifted and stiffened in his chair. To anybody else it would have been barely noticeable, but to Jim it was akin to a shout. Jim wondered about the reaction as Jack asked further, "Work-related? Personal or Recreational?"

"Recreational." The darkly sardonic tone Blair used to utter the word coupled with the wry smile and Jack's relaxation at hearing it confused Jim, but he didn't dwell on it. It was a mystery he could pursue at a later date – perhaps if he decided to act on his interest when he went after the man – but until then he needed to focus. Blair didn't stick around long after imparting the warning of his mother's impending visit and Jack turned back to Jim as soon as the younger man was gone.

"So, where were we?"

"I believe I was about to be a good enabler for your vice and ask you about a series of what I think are hits. The last one was in Peru, the unlamented former CEO of Cyclops Oil." Jim said and then added on a list of a few more he believed to be the work of the same person.

"Slimy bastard, and he certainly was in like company if you've gotten the other targets right." Jack said with a grimace.

"Yeah, he was and much as I think they all came to a rather deserving end I still have to find out who is responsible," Jim said heavily.

"Ah yes, that wonderful thing called duty," Jack said dryly, then he asked idly as he began the search, "Do you have a suspect you favor?"

Jim snorted, "Yes, believe it or not, it's a woman who looks like she never left the 60's. She has a lot of aliases, but I think I've managed to figure out her real name – it's Naomi, Naomi Sandburg."

Jack made a funny sound and sitting up, Jim looked at him sharply.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just got a bit of a surprise," Jack said as he waved vaguely towards his monitor.

Jim nodded, but wondered at his friends actions as he sat back again. Had something he said made Jack react that way? The woman's name? Maybe she was someone Jack had encountered while going about his own business as a spook. But Jim couldn't hold onto the questions he had thought of with Jack's odd reaction, his mind kept wandering. He should have been thinking about the case the Chief of Police had saddled him with, but a certain young professor was creeping into his thoughts and Jim didn't have the willpower to put him out of his mind yet. So he didn't. He let himself dwell on his memory of the time spent in Blair's company. The odd undercurrents that had permeated the way he and Jack talked to each other became more glaring in retrospect. A little smile crossed his lips, maybe he was going to have to investigate the mystery sooner rather than later, not exactly a hardship.

x-X-x

Blair walked briskly back towards his own office from Jack's, warning duly given, and thought about who'd also been in Jack's office. A cop, and not just any cop – no – the man had to be a former player in the game, so the danger factor in his presence in Jack's office and to his mother was even higher.

This was not good.

What was even worse was how damned attractive the man was. Yeah, it shouldn't have been something Blair noticed, not then anyway but - cop or not, the man was *hot*! He made Blair's body sit up and take notice. Like a dog with a bone interested.

Damnit! He *so* didn't need this! Not now, not with his mother coming into town and all the inherent dangers her presence always meant. Really and truly this was the worst possible time to even think about starting something with someone, let alone with a cop! He needed to have his head examined for even thinking it.

Hell, who was he kidding? What he needed was to get laid, Gods! He'd obviously been celibate too long if he was having this much trouble after just being in a room with a guy he found attractive.

Finally he reached his own office and slipped in, shutting the door firmly behind him and locking it. He thought he was more than entitled to have a bit of time to himself at the moment, so that he could have a nice quiet little breakdown all on his lonesome.

He knew there was trouble coming; he could sense it.

x-X-x

A few days had gone by since Jim's less than productive visit with Jack and Jim had figured he'd try another tack. He'd decided to try and figure out who the kid in some of the older photos was, and where Naomi and the child might be now. He thought that if he could find out what the connection was between Naomi and the kid for sure, that he might be able to use that connection to find her. Of course it all hinged on the two still being in contact, and it was a very roundabout and convoluted way of doing things that really would be a whole hell of a lot easier if he knew whether the kid in the pictures was a boy or a girl, but nonetheless - it didn't mean it couldn't be successful. It just meant doing paperwork for the rest of his foreseeable lifetime to see whether it would work.

Joy. He didn't even think this case was worth his time to start with let alone being saddled with paperwork from hell in case he managed to get anywhere on it. The damn thing was way out of his jurisdiction to start with since it had happened in Peru, and then it had already been investigated and ruled on – what he'd been stuck with was only a sap to some paper pushing politician's grief that his buddy was dead.

Careful examination of some of the older photos had yielded the initials 'B.J.S.', found on miscellaneous bits of the kid's gear. Jim used the first two as a guide, with the last 'S' changed to the Sandburg name, to look up anyone in the right age bracket who might be the kid from the photos. He found four. The first was easily dismissed; she was someone who had married into the name. The second was just as easily out of the running as he was adopted into the name, which was very clear by his DMV photo – the blond hair didn't match the picture at all. The third and fourth though were both very strong possibilities; the third a rather ruthless young man in New York moving up the ladder fast in his financial broker career by the name of Benjamin John Sandburg. And the fourth was listed only as a B.J. Sandburg, a junior Professor of Anthropology at Rainier, right here in Cascade.

'Well, that's convenient isn't it?' Jim thought to himself, 'that one of the stronger possibilities is right here in my own backyard, so to speak.'

Well he might as well check out the nearest first, and who knew? He could actually get lucky right out the door – doubtful sure, but there was nothing saying it was impossible. He shrugged and whimsically thought to himself that it must be a sign as he headed back to Rainier again. Maybe he could even look up Blair while he was there, kill two birds with one stone...

After arriving on campus, Jim asked around and was soon directed to Professor Sandburg's office. He knocked and was invited in cheerfully enough. He stepped in and came face to face with- "Blair!"

The young professor had stood to greet whoever entered and Jim saw the recognition along with some other emotion pass through his eyes as he stepped forward and said, "Hey, Jim right? How are you, man, and what brings you knocking on my door?"

Jim's automatic smile at the sight of the other man faded a bit, "Your door?" His heart sunk. "You're Professor B. J. Sandburg?"

"Yeah, why?"

Jim drifted closer to the other man, almost too close really, while he asked further. "Your mom, the one you expressly came to warn Jack about when you found out she was coming for a visit, she wouldn't happen to be Naomi Sandburg would she?"

"Yes as a matter of fact she would be, and she's already here." A distinctly amused, lilting and sexy voice of a woman spoke from the vicinity of the door - the same door Jim had forgotten to close in his shock of discovery. Both men spun to face the newcomer, Jim was still stunned and this surprise only added to it but Blair was at least able to react.

"Mom!" Blair squeaked out through tense vocal chords, his eyes wide and a bit wild. "You're early!"

A sensual chuckle sounded and the woman in the doorway smiled slyly at the two of them. "I know, but don't fret boys; you don't have to worry about entertaining me yet." It seemed she had seen how close the two of them had been standing to each other and had added up two and two to get five. She was smiling at them knowingly as she added with a wide smile, "I'll get out of your hair a.s.a.p. – just tell me where to find that old reprobate Jack so I can bother him while you two stay here and entertain each other."

Blair stammered out the directions to the Political Sciences Building and then how to find Jack's office once inside. Naomi winked at the two of them, said "Thanks sweetie, ta-ta for now." and swept out of the doorway. She made sure it was shut properly behind her though Jim noted idly. Another thing he bemusedly realized was that she knew Jack, that they seemed to be old friends. 'Well that explains a lot doesn't it? Like why he wasn't the most helpful of souls this time around.' It also gave him some food for thought, but that was something he would have to deal with later.

Still feeling more than a bit shell-shocked Jim turned back to face Blair. Raising an eyebrow all he said was, "Interesting lady your mom, isn't she?"

Blair smiled at him, but it was a bit shaky and sickly around the edges, and responded with a pained, "Yeah, my mom is one of a kind, you got that right." Then he made a sour face.

Jim had to throw his head back and laugh. It might not have been the steadiest after all the ups and downs in such a short time, but still it was honest. Even with his suspicions of what the younger man's mother did for a living and therefore what he would have been brought up seeing, Jim couldn't help being amused. Blair had still sounded like every other kid in the world who was saddled with an eccentric parent.

The sour look on Blair's face deepened and Jim just kept laughing.

x-X-x

Blair hadn't heard anything for two days and then his office door opened after a perfunctory knock. Jim walked in. Blair made a face and said dourly, "Oh it's you again - what do you want?"

Jim stared hard at Blair. "Don't give me that, you know exactly why I'm here."

Blair flashed an impish grin, "To ask me on a date?"

"Cute, but no. I'm here about your mother. Chief, you know-"

Blair cut him off summarily, "I know nothing."

Jim paused for a beat, sighed and then said sardonically, "Okay, Shultz, play dumb if you want – we both know that isn't the case though right?"

"Whatever," Blair said dismissively and Jim ground his teeth together hard enough to have that muscle in his jaw start jumping. Blair eyed it with fascination, his mind going down some very inappropriate paths. One of the biggest was, 'Gods, he would love to be able to nibble that jaw into submission...' He snapped back to himself though when he heard Jim's next words as they were spat out in frustration.

"Your mother has been leading quite the life, hasn't she? Seemingly flitting from place to place as whimsy took her, but in reality it was very different wasn't it? Her path wasn't random in the least, she would just coldly plot her meandering course in order to make best use of her time to murder people for pay!"

Blair found his attraction to Jim was waning fast as the other man rapidly became offensive when thwarted. He didn't react to the diatribe spewed at him other than to say dryly, "Do you really expect me to confirm or deny anything for you?"

Jim looked at him dourly. "No I suppose not."

"Well, that's good, shows you have a brain rattling around in your skull."

Jim seethed.

Blair wondered what his next move was going to be. It wasn't what he expected. Jim simply collapsed into the nearest chair, looking exhausted. Then he began to talk quietly. Blair had to strain to hear him.

"It wasn't my idea you know. Personally I would have loved to send whoever took out that slimy bastard of a CEO a thank you card and a gift basket rather than trying to bring them to so-called justice. In reality, justice was served with his death. Whoever did it, by getting rid of that scum they saved some people very important to me, people who saved me a long time ago. But I wasn't given the choice in taking it." Jim shuddered and started to speak a little louder, "I didn't want this case, really I didn't. It's not even something I should have had to investigate since it took place in another country. Only reason I got stuck doing anything about it was politics. The Chief of Police to find out what happened and I can't do anything less than my best – it's just not in me to do otherwise. So I thought that if I did my best and didn't find anything, or at least anything useable, that it would be okay. Things would work out, I could go back and say that I did my best but there was nothing to find…."

Blair edged up and lay a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Only you think you found something?"

Jim covered Blair's hand with his own. "I managed to pinpoint someone in the area who had no reason to be there, a person who I had seen at another similar situation many years before. Using that I looked up a number of other ah, circumstances, and the pattern fell out from there."

"Have you told anyone?"

"Just my captain, but he isn't sharing, not on something so tenuous. He needs something solid and he resented the assignment as much as I did."

Blair moved around to stand in front of Jim. He wanted to look the other man in the eyes. "Your sense of duty won't allow you to let this go, will it?"

The light blue eyes looking up into his own were visibly hurting. "No."

Blair drew in a deep measured breath and thought for a second as he weighed possibilities. Coming to a decision he said, "My mother and I are going to spend the night together, reconnect, I think perhaps that you should go and see Jack – tell him exactly what you just told me. He might have some information that can help you."

Jim's eyes narrowed, Blair didn't give him time to say anything. He pulled Jim to his feet and promptly started hustling him to the door.

"Now I have things to do before I can leave tonight so I think you should go now. Bye."

Already off balance by the strength the other man had demonstrated, Jim was easily directed through the door and pushed out. Blair shut the door as soon as he was out and leaned against it, thinking sardonically,

'That went well.'

x-X-x

A quick knock sounded on the door was followed by Jim calling out, "Hey Jack, got a minute? Blair mentioned I should talk to you about a few things – said I needed to know."

"Did he now? Did he tell you anything else?"

Jim half heartedly glared, he had a feeling the other two had already talked and he was at a disadvantage. It wasn't a feeling he liked. "Yeah, he mentioned I should tell you some things I told him a few days ago."

"Really, what would that be?"

Jim grimaced but still launched into his explanation a second time. Jack's expression didn't change until Jim reached the end, it was at that point that he smiled slightly. All he said though was, "That does make things much easier."

Jim nearly growled and gritted out. "How do my feelings on the matter make things easier? Why would hearing them make Blair tell me to talk to you? I don't understand any of this."

"I think you do, you just don't want to see it." Jack said as he eyed Jim with a dispassionate stare and Jim felt like a kid who had missed the obvious answer in class. Jim stared back defiantly but soon broke.

"Fine, she's one of ours isn't she? One of the ones we are never supposed to acknowledge ever."

Jack smiled faintly as he replied, "You know that isn't something I can tell you, Jim."

Jim smiled back as his guess was pretty much confirmed. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Jack, you're a real friend."

x-X-x

It was well over a week later until Jim showed up in Blair's office again. His mother had already left and as far as Blair knew she was safely away and busy planning her next 'job'. So it was easy for Blair to smile at Jim as he sauntered across the room in order to sit on the couch Blair kept in his office for the nights he didn't quite make it home.

"Hey," he said in greeting. "You and Jack have a nice talk?"

"It was… informative," Jim said with an ironic smile. "It’s funny what a cop can learn when talking to one of his sources."

"I can imagine," Blair muttered and rolled his eyes. "Jack so has a point about your sense of humor, we really need to rescue it at some point."

"Hey!" Jim said injured, but then perked up as something occurred to him. "You and he have been talking about me?"

Blair began to chuckle. Jim began to look a bit leery.

"Wait, that wasn't a good thing, was it?"

Blair started to laugh. Jim grabbed him and silenced him the best way Blair thought he could think of. He kissed him – long, wet and deep. Blair melted. When he was finally able to control his lips again and breathe Blair said,

"Mmmm, I don't know if talking about you was, but *that* was a good thing."

-end-  
[](http://www.statcounter.com/free_web_stats.html)  
  
Marns  
~pN

Feed the muse! Or at least let me know what you think, pretty please?


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